Australia's emissions continue to climb, reaching seven-year highs

Australia's greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise in the June quarter, ending the financial year at their highest level since mid-2011, government figures show.

Total emissions in the economy at the end of June were the equivalent of 533.7 million tonnes, up 3.4 million tonnes from a year earlier, according to the latest quarterly report. Compared with the March quarter, emissions fell 3 million tonnes, halving the annual growth rate from 1.3 per cent to 0.6 per cent.

The electricity sector is one of two sectors of the Australian economy to show a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the year to June 2018.Credit:Paul Jones

The electricity sector remains the largest contributor of greenhouse gases but its tally continues to shrink after the closure of coal-fired power plants and the rising share of renewables.

The industry's pollution totalled 182.4 million tonnes for the year to June, down 5.2 million tonnes or 2.8 per cent. Electricity generation emissions are down almost one-seventh since peaking in 2009.

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As in previous quarters, the rapid increase in liquefied natural gas production led emission gains. Fugitive emissions, which include those from coal, oil and gas extraction and processing, jumped 5.2 per cent for the year to 54.7 million tonnes.

The other big annual increase came from stationary energy sources - excluding energy - which takes in the manufacturing, mining and commercial sectors. Those emissions rose 5 per cent to almost 100 million tonnes.

"The latest report shows Australia’s national emissions, which comprise 1.3 per cent of global emissions, were 2.4 per cent below 2000 levels and 11.7 per cent below 2005 levels in the year to June 2018," Ms Price said in a statement.

'Mockery' of Paris goals

Australia has pledged to cut emissions 26-28 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030. Annual emissions, though, have risen since the middle of 2015 in trend terms.

“The Prime Minister [Scott Morrison] continues to claim the country is cantering towards its climate target, but this is the fourth [financial] year in row that greenhouse gas emissions increased," Richie Merzian, Climate and Energy Program Director at The Australia Institute, said.

Labor's climate spokesman, Mark Butler, said emissions had been falling during the Rudd-Gillard years and were now going "up, and up, and up".

"This week the UN confirmed the government’s own data which shows under Scott Morrison’s hopeless climate change policies, carbon pollution will continue to rise all the way to 2030 - as far as the projections go," Mr Butler said.

Per capita drop

The government, though, highlights that on a per capita basis, and per dollar of GDP, emissions are at their lowest in 28 years.

Rising LNG shipments may also have a benefit if they displace more carbon-intensive fossil fuels such as coal, Ms Price said.

"Our LNG exports have the potential to save importing countries 130 million tonnes of emissions per year," she said.

Adam Bandt, the Greens climate spokesman, said the latest figures "puts our measly Paris targets even further out of reach".

Mr Bandt said the emissions increase comes as Queensland roasts in record heat and the prospect that the country's largest untapped coal region - the Galilee Basin - may be opened up with Adani saying it will self-fund its controversial Adani coal mine.

“Queensland is burning, Adani is trying to build their murderous coal mine and Australia’s pollution is still rising,” said Mr Bandt.